Non Player/Coaches Sports Commentators

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Neomich

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Am I the only one that hates when they have people commentating a sports game that they have absolutely no history of playing or coaching? If you want to be an analyst or something, I have no problem with that but get off the live broadcasts.
 
If they know the game and they're spouting quality commentating, then I couldn't give sh*t either way. Just because you got your head knocked around on the field for 10 years doesn't mean you're necessarily more qualified to be a commentator than someone who didn't. Quite frankly, a lot of the ex-players seem to be riding on their reputation alone. I mean, Deion Sanders didn't exactly afford us any more mind-blowing insights last night than Briant Gumbel, and he was an NFL player. "Oh, Nick Folk's gonna be a big factor tonight, because I say so and I wanna say something outrageous just to get attention. Duhhhh." ******. If you ask me, there are too many ex-players who are borderline retarded but get spots on the halftime zoo crew merely because of their years on the field, and not their actual qualifications to be a sports announcer.
 
Bryant Gumbel attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he played football and baseball and was a member of the class of 1970. He was a history major and wrote sports columns for the school newspaper, the Bates Student.
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So does that mean he passes the jock test and is automatically a good sports commentator???
F no.
He sucks.

Just saying.
 
I agree to a point. There are some commentators out there that have no business calling a game. Just look at the crap FOX feeds up. Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. I can't stand McCarver. He makes the most idiotic comments ever, and what's worse, is FOX uses them as generic announcers for all sports. Not only do I have to listen to them cover baseball, but they do football, and I even heard them on a NASCAR event on FOX. WTF! There is no need to pollute my TV with the likes of Tim McCarver.

Sorry, i'm done ranting now.
 
I think 90% of the commentators/analysts on the airwaves these days are about as good at breaking down a game as I am regardless of whether or not they are an ex-player or coach. The same is true for play-by-play guys but there are a few more decent ones around.

Sports coverage is suffering from the same problem as news coverage; when every network plus ESPN plus NFL Network have halftime shows and pre-game shows and post-game shows, there isn't enough good talent to cover all the spots.

I say, reduce the number of analysts on all these shows to 3 instead of 4 and you'd go a long way towards fixing the problem.
 
Neomich said:
Am I the only one that hates when they have people commentating a sports game that they have absolutely no history of playing or coaching? If you want to be an analyst or something, I have no problem with that but get off the live broadcasts.
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So, would you listen to anything that retard McCarver would say just because he had a sub-mediocre baseball career more than you'd listen to some one like Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell or Peter Gammons? Hell no you wouldn't.

I think there are more former jock idiot sports caster out there then there are non-jock sports casters. There has to be ... the guys that are sports announcers that didn't have an onfield career, have to be better than the rest in order to get a job ... they don't have the luxury of living off a reputation.
 
I would LOVE to see an ex-referee do commentary during a football game. I bet he'd really bring an interesting angle to the game.
 
My issue with the player as commentators is this.

Seriously, if you are going to be an announcer of any type learn to freaking talk!

Jaylen rose was talking about football today on ESPN as a commentator on some show. while talking about Ben Roethlisberger he says not once but 3 times

(spelled phoentically how he pronounced it) Ben Raw-phwess-buger.


huge pet peeve.

although i suppose i type phoentically half the time. But i dont type professionally damn it!!!!
 
I can't stand this. They shouldn't be allowed. There are enough intelligent ex-players out there to take the jobs. I don't know who's worse, Dennis Miller or Tony Cornheiser. I'm gonna go with TC :mad:
 
I still don't get why being an ex-player makes you suddenly more qualified. Sure, it helps, but it doesn't guarantee anything. And if there are so many "intelligent" ex-players out there, why do the networks insist on hiring mostly "developmentally challenged" ones?

And you shuddap about Korny, dude. He's the fuggin man. Him and Wil-Bone have been lighting up the WaPo sports section for a long time, and he is a funny guy sometimes. Dennis Miller, on the other hand, is a ****** whose "let's see how obscure a reference I can make" shtick was played out a decade ago.
 
Reverend JC said:
My issue with the player as commentators is this.

Seriously, if you are going to be an announcer of any type learn to freaking talk!

Jaylen rose was talking about football today on ESPN as a commentator on some show. while talking about Ben Roethlisberger he says not once but 3 times

(spelled phoentically how he pronounced it) Ben Raw-phwess-buger.


Emmitt Smith is the protypical example of this. I'm not even sure that he's speaking English half of the time he opens his mouth, and the other half he's getting names, places, facts or stats wrong. I turn the channel if I see his face. It causes me much anger.

Kornheiser and Wilbon rule, btw.

You know who I want to hear do color for an NFL game? Frank Caliendo. Now THAT would be entertaining.
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Evan! said:
I still don't get why being an ex-player makes you suddenly more qualified. Sure, it helps, but it doesn't guarantee anything. And if there are so many "intelligent" ex-players out there, why do the networks insist on hiring mostly "developmentally challenged" ones?

And you shuddap about Korny, dude. He's the fuggin man. Him and Wil-Bone have been lighting up the WaPo sports section for a long time, and he is a funny guy sometimes. Dennis Miller, on the other hand, is a ****** whose "let's see how obscure a reference I can make" shtick was played out a decade ago.
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The networks probably hire the less intelligent ex-players to validate their hiring non ex-players. I love PTI but I don't wanna hear Tony during the game. I only like when he and Wilbon bark at each other. Caliendo would just do Madden the whole time (probably against his will) and nothing would sound any different...
 
I figured Dumbell last night sparked this thread, he's a tard.

I don't think Joe Buck is an ex-fb player, but what he says is pretty good, I just can't stand his voice.

Kornheiser is one of my fav....although I'm a little biased since he's a WashPost writer, and a big skins fan....so sue me. Although he needs to realize he's not fooling anyone with the comb-over :D
 
I think Joe Buck is one of the best, and he probably got his ass kicked in pop warner. Al Michaels? First class.

It's usually the athletes I want to beat with a pipe; Troy Aikman, Tony Siragusa, etc.

Oh, and John Madden? He should be shot.
 
I tend to be far more interested in what the former coaches have to say than the former players. And say what you want about Madden (and I hate him too) but he sees things in a game that no one else sees (then talks about them endlessly for the rest of the game).

I'd rather listen to someone who never played a day in his life but who can speak intelligently on the game than someone who is in the hall of fame and a complete moron.
 
TheJadedDog said:
I'd rather listen to someone who never played a day in his life but who can speak intelligently on the game than someone who is in the hall of fame and a complete moron.
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I agree. But not all ex-players are bad announcers. Larry McCarren, who does radio for the Packers, is excellent. Bob Uecker is in the Hall of Fame as a broadcaster. Joe Garagiola was an excellent broadcaster. I used to like Matt Millen when he was in the booth. But it seems as if most of the ex-jocks that are on the national scene nowadays are terrible
 
TheJadedDog said:
I tend to be far more interested in what the former coaches have to say than the former players. And say what you want about Madden (and I hate him too) but he sees things in a game that no one else sees (then talks about them endlessly for the rest of the game)..
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Speaking of seeing things in the game - Jaws is amazing. Anybody else every watch the film breakdown show on ESPN with him? He points things out that you never would have noticed.
 
I'm just the opposite. I think very, very few ex-jocks make good color men. Most trip over their own words or are just plain nerve-racking to try and listen to. Madden, while likeable, is kind of a cartoon and McCarver, Deion and Brian Baldinger are just dopes!

There have been some good ones - Joe Garagiola, Frank Gifford before his cheese slipped off his cracker, and currently I think Troy Aikman and Chris Collinsworth and do a good job. But by and large, give me Scully, Costas, Jack Buck, Rizzuto any day.

Sir Humpsalot said:
I would LOVE to see an ex-referee do commentary during a football game. I bet he'd really bring an interesting angle to the game.
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That would be a very good idea!
 
Some are good, some are bad; can't generalize at all. My favorite announcing team of all time is in basketball, Mike Gorman and Tommy Heinson for the C's. Gorman's a totally classly, level-headed, but interesting play-by-play man; doubt he ever played above high school. Heinson's the HOF player/coach with multiple championship rings whose blood runs green (well, whatever part of his blood isn't whiskey). COMPLETE homer, absolutely no shame whatsoever, calls out the refs by name, screams at them....

It's such a great dynamic, 'cause he knows so much about the game, and at the same time is really the figurehead of the entire franchise. Obviously, that doesn't work for a national announcer (although he used to call national games in the '80s), but it's a treat to hear those two guys, who have worked together for twenty-some years and obviously have a great personal friendship, call the games each night.
 
Al Michaels is fantastic. So was Pat Summerall when he wasn't drunk out of his mind.

I personally think that Joe Buck should stick to baseball. There are a few players that I think have made the transition well - Troy Aikman, Darrell Johnston, Brian Baldinger, Ron Pitts, and Steve Beuerlein to name a few.
 
i actually hate all the tv type announcers. i much prefer the play by play that you get on am radio. we usually turn off the sound on the tv, and crank the local yokals on the am. at least they follow the team the entire year, and generally have been fans most of the careers/life.

i don't watch much besides the cleveland teams, so it's not so bad though.
 
ohiobrewtus said:
I personally think that Joe Buck should stick to baseball. There are a few players that I think have made the transition well - Troy Aikman, Darrell Johnston, Brian Baldinger, Ron Pitts, and Steve Beuerlein to name a few.
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No way ... I don't want him doing baseball. He's below average at best for baseball, but everytime I see him, he's with that McRetard.
 
Joe Theismann was the one announcer I cared for the least. His "for them to win tonight they are going to have to score more points than their opponent" and "the reason they are able to run the ball is the line is opening holes" comments I don't miss.

Behind him is Dan Dierdorf. Dierdorf I think tried to sound intelligent by looking up a new word before every game in a thesaurus and using it every third down. Of course Micheals and Gifford may have just made Dierdorf look stupid because they were that much better IMHO.

Bryant Gumbel may be victim to that because I think Collinsworth is pretty damn good at commentary making Gumbel's play by play look a little shabby. Not that Gumbel is really that good, he could just be a lot better. Being as the NFL Network's games are nationally televised depending on if your cable company is worth two ****s or not, The NFL Network should have looked for someone better after Gumbel's poor job last season.

John Madden I used to be unable to stand. Paired with Al Micheals though I don't mind him. I actually will watch Sunday night's game even if it is two teams I have no interest in.

Tom Jackson does a great job on ESPN too BTW.
 
Quote:
Bryant Gumbel attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine where he played football and baseball and was a member of the class of 1970. He was a history major and wrote sports columns for the school newspaper, the Bates Student.


So does that mean he passes the jock test and is automatically a good sports commentator???
F no.
He sucks.

Just saying.
__________________


Did he get a Master at Bates?


That is about as witty as I get.
 
feedthebear said:
Bob Costas did play-by-play for both the MLB and the NBA. He never played the game.
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Ah, he is one of my favorite MLB commentators. Have you read his book, "Fair Ball?" It is pretty good.
 
I haven't. But I'd rather listen to him than just about anyone else.

I'll have to check the book out. Thanks.
 
So generally, I watch sports without the sound. The drivel-to-info ratio is just way too high, and when you get right down to it the only time the announcers add any value is if they're explaining some obscure rule or call or something...and more often than not, they fcuk that up anyway (I'm amazed at how many announcers DON'T KNOW THE RULES)

That said, I rarely watch games alone, and someone usually wants the sound on, so I've seen more of them than I'd like. I'll generally disagree with the OP...ex-athletes, as a group, are worse announcers than the professional announcers. (And don't even get me started on sideline "reporters" :rolleyes: )

Regarding:
Evan! said:
And you shuddap about Korny, dude. He's the fuggin man. Him and Wil-Bone have been lighting up the WaPo sports section for a long time, and he is a funny guy sometimes. Dennis Miller, on the other hand, is a ****** whose "let's see how obscure a reference I can make" shtick was played out a decade ago.
Click to expand...

I love Kornheiser's writing, and I like his work with Wilbon on PTI. But he is AWFUL on MNF. In his defense, it's a thankless role; I don't know if there's a way to be a successful 3rd wheel in the booth. ANd I think the producers probably have something to do with his bombastic, hype-everything approach. But saying he's better than Miller is like saying it's better to have your fingers sawed off with a dull blade than having them eaten off by a rat. True...but a long, long way from good.

Where's my mute button...
 
I've never read Kornhole, so I don't know. But I'll only watch MNF if I've DVR'ed it. That way I can fast forward through the commentary between each play.
 

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